Amy Roe, Conservation Chair of the Sierra Club’s Delaware Chapter

Treasure of the Sierra: Amy Roe keeps the Delaware chapter of the Sierra Club humming.

By Drew Ostroski // Photo by Emily Duck

As conservation chair of the Sierra Club’s Delaware chapter, Amy Roe oversees the group’s environmental advocacy work. As a member of the club’s executive committee, she helps steer the group’s activities. This Newark resident is clearly passionate about her work.

“One of the most important things about the environmental movement is that we need to have a space for a meaningful dialogue,” Roe says. “And if we’re disrespected by government, or we’re disrespected by industry and kept in the dark, we can’t have that conversation.”

The Delaware chapter became active during the 1960s when it joined with others to stop construction of a dam in White Clay Creek. The group has continued to work to protect the state’s waterways, particularly the Delaware River, as well as its climate, wetlands and the coastal zone.

Roe and the Sierra Club were most recently in the news for opposing a natural gas-fired power plant on UD’s STAR Campus in Newark. Another top issue is the Delaware City Refinery’s importing of tar sands by train and proposal to ship tar sands and resulting oil to other refineries along the Delaware.

Roe stresses that the club’s work is not all about being against issues. She cites its program that encourages people to undertake renewable energy projects like solar panel installations.

“I think it’s good to oppose bad things, but it’s good to support good things,” she says. “We’re trying to have a healthy balance of that in the state.” (delaware.sierraclub.org)